Asolo can be visited in a few hours, but you’d wish you could spend a lifetime there.

Described by Giosuè Carducci as the city of a hundred horizons, Asolo has one of Italy’s most picturesque historic centres.

It should be enjoyed slowly, with the tranquillity that only the small towns of Veneto can offer.

Writers, poets and artists who have visited and loved this town include: Pietro Bembo, Robert Browning, Giosuè Carducci, Eleonora Duse, Lorenzo Lotto, Giorgione, Palladio, Antonio Canova, Igor Stravinsky, Gian Francesco Malipiero and numerous others.

What to see in Asolo, a small guide in order to not miss any places of interest/attraction

Asolo, awarded as the most beautiful and “American friendly” town in Italy, and recipient of an Orange Flag from the Italian Touring Club, retains a charming medieval appearance, contained within its ancient walls and dominated by its fortress.

We recommend visiting the following charming attractions in its beautiful historic centre:

• the Cathedral, a treasure trove of important works of art, including the Assumption by Lorenzo Lotto
• Palazzo della Loggia, the beautifully frescoed civic museum
• Castello della Regina, residence of Queen Catherine Cornaro, the only “queen” in the history of the Venetian Republic
• Villa Freya, with the romantic atmosphere of its garden and the remains of a Roman theatre
• The Rocca, a 14th-century medieval fortress at the top of the hill, keeping watch over the town it symbolises.

Three women have had particularly close ties with the town: Caterina Cornaro, Eleonora Duse and Freya Stark. Well-travelled, enterprising, nonconformist and intellectuals of international acclaim, they contributed to defining the image of Asolo as an ideal of beauty and a location of choice.

Caterina Cornaro, the former queen of Cyprus, in exile in Asolo from 1489, created a splendid Renaissance court in the castle that still bears her name today. Eleonora Duse, the diva of international theatre, sought rest in Asolo from the fatigue of the stage and also chose to be buried there. Freya Stark, the explorer, writer and photographer, chose Asolo as the privileged destination of return from her travels and was also buried here, in the cemetery of Sant’Anna.

INTERESTING FACTS

• On clear days, the Venetian lagoon can be seen from the Rocca.
• The Rocca is the starting point of a path called ‘the two fortresses’ that is quite challenging but offers breath-taking views, and it can also be travelled by mountain bike.
• Asolo gives its name to the famous wine: ASOLO PROSECCO SUPERIORE DOCG

When to visit:

• The second Sunday of each month, for the antiques market

• In September, for the Traveller’s Festival and Vacanze dell’Anima

In spring, for the Cuchi (terracotta whistle) Exhibition

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